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Crash!

John Howard, the famous bike racer from the 80’s and first Race Across America champion always said,” there are two kinds of cyclists. Those who have crashed and those who will.” He was mainly referring to bike racers, but it generally applies to all of us who attempt to navigate on two wheels. I have a lot of memories of road bike crashes like the criterium days at Highland Park in Pittsburgh. Back when I raced, we used to glue sew up tires on our rims with 3M Fast Tack adhesive. Invariably, someone in the pack would not glue their tires on correctly or didn’t properly let them dry and when they rolled a tire off a rim in a corner, they generally took the whole pack down. Road rash galore on the legs and oftentimes road bike damage. Most of us were more concerned about the bike than we were for ourselves. Road rash heals- bike damage is expensive. But suffice to say, road riding and crashing on hard surfaces was not pretty.

One other time comes to mind when I was riding with a bunch of guys on a Saturday morning near Frick Park in Pittsburgh. We were descending a hill behind a garbage truck which was leaking water and grease on the road. As we made a high speed turn to the left on Forbes Ave. I lost control on the grease, slid for about 50 yards right through the intersection, into some hedges in front of an Exxon station. As I came to rest, all I noticed was the price of unleaded on the pump where I was resting. Fortunately, because of the grease, I slid most of the way and didn’t get too much road rash. But the impact was hard and I had a pretty good hematoma on my hip for a while. ” Those who have crashed, and those who will.”

One time I was the beneficiary of a crash in the rain at a race in Montclair, N.J. It was raining pretty hard and a couple of guys touched wheels and took a big group down. Fortunately I was right behind and saw what was coming, I jumped up on to the sidewalk and then on to some guys lawn, and re-entered right ahead of the big crash. There were only a couple of us who were not affected and we raced to the finish line. I had a better finish than expected. LOL!!

Tussey Mountain Trail- State College, Pa.

Moving ahead to mountain biking, I have always said riding on the knobby tires is an accident waiting to happen. I have had my share of crashing on the rocks and roots of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. When it rains, it even gets more sketchy, and inevitably a lot of us go down from time to time. I always laugh when our doc, Syed Hyder, rides with us. He is always working -patching up somebody on a ride. Crashing is a normal thing while riding the knobbies in our neck of the woods. One of the memories I have etched in my brain was when I went to an early season race in Coburn, Pa with some friends of mine. When we started it was cold and raining and by the time we got to the top of the summits, the trails and fire roads were still covered in ice. I clearly remember seeing guys sliding off the trails and fire roads, over the side having to scramble up to get back on the trail. I had my share of riding over the side in that race as well and was looking forward to the bottom of the descents where at least it was only muddy and raining. Another time in a Month of Mud race, it snowed 6 inches at Brady’s Run, and I went over the bars frequently. It was a real struggle to finish the race as they were real challenging conditions. Larry Lynch and I took out Matt Eaton- the National Road Race Champion another time at that same race on the Descent of Death. We felt real bad crossing bars and taking out a guy who was a national class road racer trying his hand at mountain bike racing. We apologized profusely at the end of the race and Matt was very gracious in his response- ” that’s bike racing boys. No issue.”

As I get older, I know that I want to ride for exercise only. I quit road riding because I think it is too dangerous where I live and with people distracted with I Phones, it is not worth the risk for me. I only mountain bike but again, I ride within my limits. I like the challenges of the rocks and roots but you won’t find me riding fast or recklessly over jumps, ramps, or large boulders. I ride to ride another day to avoid the big ………….CRASH. Especially seeing that I take Coumadin and need to avoid blunt force trauma. Syed always says I am his only patient who skis and rides a mountain bike on Coumadin. But he knows me and the way that I ride and is comfortable with it after 35 years on the stuff. I ski fast but within my limits so as not to CRASH in that pursuit either.

I am hoping that my memories of crashes are fading as the years roll on. I remember the doozies, and hope that my days of crashing hard are over. At my age, you really can’t afford the big hit. My friend Tom, who owns our local bike shop, Highline Bikes, is trying to get me to buy an e-bike. Looking at the way those guys ride those things is really not my style. The speed of e-bikes, riding fast over ramps and jumps is not my style of riding and I am content to be analog and ride my normal bikes. Sorry Tom. I know they are fun, but I don’t want to …………CRASH!!

The old Greenlees days.
Tom on the e-bike. Not interested in this. I am a little long in the tooth. 🙂
The rocks of the Laurel Highlands. Always a challenge.

Shuttling in Marlinton, WVA is as rugged as I want it now. This place is a real challenge.

So, in conclusion, be prepared. You will crash if you choose to ride on two wheels. Hopefully, rarely if you ride within your limits and respect terrain, weather conditions, and other people. Nothing is more rewarding than a good ride. You feel so good afterwards, and your post ride beer and snacks are a great reward for a nice day in the saddle. Just be heads up. Thanks for reading.

Please follow the blog on http://www.chroniclesofmccloskey.com It helps me.

“Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11

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Spring has Sprung

Holland Tulip Festival Holland, Michigan

Several years ago, while visiting our son Jack and his girlfriend Marisa ( now fiancee) in Grand Rapids, we attended the Holland Tulip Festival in Holland, Michigan. We enjoyed the nice spring weather and were treated to garden after garden of brightly colored tulips in full bloom at this time of year. We made a stop at the Holland Bulb Farms ( hollandbulbfarms.com) booth and I made a purchase of some bulbs to plant in the fall for the next spring. Ever since then, it has been a tradition for me to buy the bulbs in the spring from Holland Bulb Farms and eagerly await their shipment to me in the late summer. I plant them before the first frost and they are ready to go when the sun starts to warm the soil in early spring.

Tulips in bloom in my front garden

Now my interest in flowers comes naturally because my dad had a greenhouse and always grew his flowers from seed. He had copious amounts of flowers to plant in the spring and also had large, beautiful flower baskets that he lovingly cared for over the summer months. Miracle Gro was his go-to and his flowers benefitted from his feeding. He didn’t have much luck with tulips seeing that he lived on the edge of our large county park and tulips were like candy to the deer in the park. I have been more successful in spraying deer and rabbit repellant on the tulips and have had no issue. But suffice to say, dad would have loved the Holland Tulip festival.

My dad’s copious collection of flowers.

Seeing the parades and the Dutch costumes at the festival reminded me of my visit to the Netherlands years ago. I cycled through the countryside and visited towns like Edam and Markham which were famous for their cheese. I also visited Delft which had the famous tile factory. I cycled below the Zuyder- Zee which was eerie seeing that I basically was riding below sea level. I rode the roads of the Amstel Gold Race and got my taste of the Belgian block roadways that are famous for the spring cycling classics.

I also got to visit the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam with all the Rembrandt paintings and went on to the Van Gogh museum where I felt totally inadequate with my art appreciation. I got a pair of clogs in the Red Light district and although the ladies were yelling at me from the windows, I made my purchase and kept moving. LOL!! Riding through the countryside on my road bike was a lot of fun in those days and Holland has an amazing system of Fiedspadts or bike paths that can take you anywhere with no automobile traffic. Everyone rides a bike in Holland and it was a fun trip for me. Those memories all came back to me when we visited Holland, Michigan.

The memories of that trip also return when I see my tulips come up at this time of year. I can hear my dad telling me to get that spray going and I am amazed that only about a month and half ago, those bulbs had a foot and a half of snow above them. They were sleeping for the winter under the snow blanket but ready to spring when the first rays of warm sunshine hit the soil.

I don’t know just why I get so excited about the tulips blooming in the spring. It must be that I have that flower bug in my veins from my dad. I know he would be proud to see my front garden. The neighbors all comment and I am appreciative. Funny how something like blooming tulips can bring back so many memories of cycling, the Netherlands, Holland, Michigan and culture from the Dutch tradition. If you get the chance, go to the Holland Tulip Festival. It is worth the drive. You see windmills, acres of tulips and the Dutch culture on display right here in the States. And if you ever get the chance, the cycling in the Netherlands is second to none. Take a flyer and go. Thanks for reading and enjoy your spring.

Please follow the blog on http://www.chroniclesofmccloskey.com It helps me.

“Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow, neither do they spin: yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” Matthew 6: 28-30

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From the Best of Chronicles of McCloskey

Affirmation
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Dirt Church

I have the privilege of being on the Board of Directors for Adventuremen, which is a Christian men’s outdoor activities organization. If you scroll to Adventuremen.org and Adventurefest.org you will see the mission of Adventuremen and also the sign up for Adventurefest which is always the weekend before Father’s Day every year. This year it is the 12th, 13th and 14th of June and it always is a great event with mountain bike rides and camping in the Laurel Highlands. There are a lot of other outdoor activities as well as great speakers at the Boyer’s Pond Campground near Somerset, Pa. If you are not into camping, there are a lot of hotel options in the Somerset area. Suffice to say that this is a weekend you might really enjoy if you are an active guy in the Southwest Pa region.

Dirt Church ride at The Q .

One of the spinoffs of Adventurefest is what we call Dirt Church. This is usually a low key mountain bike ride at Laurel Mountain, The Q near Somerset, or the local trails near Pittsburgh. The itinerary for the rides is usually a 1-3 hour ride with the occasional stop for Pastor Greg Nass to address the group and give us something to think about on the trails as it relates to the very uplifting Christian message. Other comments are given by Mark” the Shark” Sauers, who is studying for the ministry, and John Casuccio who is a strong rider as well as a very gifted speaker. All in all, at this time of year with Good Friday approaching and Easter Sunday, the first outing happens and we are all reminded of the sacrifice Jesus made for all of us on the cross and the defeat of death at the Resurrection. Again, a very uplifting salvation message if you get to hear it. Especially nice, when it is on a trail in the wonders of creation.
Shark at his best in prayer. On the trails. Dirt Church

One of the hallmarks of the rides is when we all roll along and we see someone hiking or riding on the trails. Shark makes a point to stop and greet them and ask, nicely, whether they have any prayer requests. People say, “no thanks”, or “not today”, or “no that’s ok”, but more often than not, someone always says ….”.yes”. At that point Shark asks them to be specific and they say things like, ” how much time do you have?” or “please pray for my back”, or “I have a relative or friend who is sick”, or even things like” I am in a bad relationship.” Shark puts his hands on them and prays for them, Tears flow, gratefulness abounds, and more often than not, the person or persons walk away with a calm sense that they never thought they would have had walking or riding on the trail that day. There are no accidents and Shark always believes that you have to put yourself out there. Especially in these times when people are troubled, evil in the world is apparent, and in general, people need the help of someone who cares. We run into them on the trails and Shark always says, ” I like to give them the message like I would tell them about a great restaurant or a great pair of skis. The Christian message is uplifting, and most of all- non judgmental. This is the essence of a Dirt Church outing. I have to be careful to always stop with Shark and turn off my Garmin watch. His message to people is way more important than my exercise and metrics.

Bob Anderson – second from left

Two years ago, I convinced my pal Bob Anderson to come to Adventurefest. He was always one of the best riders and racers around and had recently turned things around in his life. Things other than training and racing had become important, and he began investigating the claims of Christianity. We had some interesting discussions on our way to West Virginia to ride and watch the World Cup MTB races at Snowshoe. He and I had a lot of conversation on the chairlifts when we skied together and in short, I was a good sounding board for Bob as he made his way through some troubling times in his life. When I asked him to Adventurefest, he enthusiastically said yes and punished us on the rides. LOL!! But when he heard guys giving their testimonies around the campfire at night, he was inspired and moved. So much so, that he stayed at the campground in his camper another week to ride and enjoy the solace of the Laurel Highlands. He contemplated what he had experienced at Adventurefest, and thought about his interaction with the guys from Adventuremen and Dirt Church.

Bob leading the pack at the Q at Adventurefest.

Tragically, Bob was killed a short time later riding his mountain bike in North Park. He rode over a downed high voltage power line that came down in a storm the night before. We were all devastated at the news, and at his funeral at his church, Northway Christian Community Church in Wexford, Pa, there were literally hundreds of mountain bikers in attendance. Some of the people were believers and some not, but they heard a very uplifting message from the pastors at Northway. The service touched a lot of people and at the memorial ride and lunch later in the year at Pittsburgh Pro Bikes in North Park, there was a packed house. After the ride, people heard testimonies from Bob’s family and friends. It was kind of surreal thinking of all the time I had spent with Bob in the past, the car rides together, and the chairlift rides together and of course the mountain bike rides that I only could share when he would slow down. Only to spread his ashes on the trails and think about the fact that Bob changed his life, appreciated what was important, and after some great Dirt Church outings and attendance at Adventurefest, he was now in Heaven in the company of the Lord.

Now I share all of this only to tell you about Adventurefest, about Dirt Church, and certainly not to make anyone uncomfortable. But really, as Shark would say, the good news shared at these events is just that- good news. Nothing judgmental. We mountain bikers are basically dirt bags and in need of a good Dirt Church. Some guys would not consider darkening the door of a conventional church, but may just like to hear a good message in the great outdoors. Nothing wrong with that and if you are of that ilk, come to a Dirt Church outing or consider joining Adventuremen and going to Adventurefest. Again- Adventuremen.org and Adventurefest.org. Check out the testimonials on the website. I wrote them. Thanks for reading and blessings to all of you.

” For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

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The Beach

The Beach at Deer Valley, Utah

One of the cool things this time of year is winding the season down with spring activities at the ski areas. Pond jumps, costume parades, skiing in light clothing or shorts, and other frivolities celebrating the end of the end of ski season. Many of the areas have a place where people can sit and gather and enjoy the sun, The Beach at Deer Valley is a typical example where there are a bunch of Adirondack chairs just waiting for skiers to sit and relax and catch some late season rays. This time of year, you take what you can get. My wife loves the sun and he warmer temps, but is not a fan of skiing in the slush. But if you want to partake in late season skiing, if is usually frozen in the morning, then you get that late morning window of soft snow, then around lunch time it turns to slush and you can tough it out, or just go to …………The Beach.

A few years ago, I spent some time at The Beach in Arapahoe Basin with my two childhood friends, John and Richard Nicolette. I was a guest of Chipotle and invited my two friends to come. The Chipotle set up was at The Beach right above the main parking lot and there was a lot of good food and beverages. We came down after a good morning of skiing and had lunch at The Beach and enjoyed the afternoon sun at one of Colorado’s premier resorts. The skiing was good but the springtime festivities at the Beach were even cooler. People celebrating the end of the season in style before it just became too warm and interest waned.

Mt Bachelor Beach – a little cold that year.
Childhood friends John and Richard Nicolette at the Beach in A-Basin.
Jason Eshelman of Chair Report fame, doing his thing at the pond skim at Seven Springs, Pa.

Spring skiing can be fickle. Take this season for instance. The west had had a tough year with record high temperatures and early closings for a lot of ski areas. Local skiing here in Pa was excellent and cold with great snow for December, January and February and then the bottom fell out with an early closing after spring skiing activities. Due to un-forseen circumstances, Janet and I had to cancel a couple of western trips this year and our season ended early. My annual Mammoth trip was also cancelled. We didn’t get to ski with our friends Mike and Judy Smith. I was kind of bummed but immediately bought my Ikon and Epic passes for next season hoping for a record year. You have to take advantage of things while you can and although life gets in the way sometimes, you can look back and see all the good times from ski seasons gone by and think about the seasons ahead. I am grateful for what I have. Get those passes, talk about skiing this summer, hit the summer beaches, and before you know it, you will be back on be slopes again. I don’t like short seasons, but I know that they are an anomaly. So, the skis are waxed and sharpened and ready to go for 2026-2027. All my clothes are washed and ready when the first flakes fly. I put the bike rack on the Jeep and am ready for the transition. Thanks for reading and follow the blog on http://www.chroniclesofmccloskey.com

“Give thanks to the Lord for He is good. His love endures forever.” Psalm 107:1

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From the Best of Chronicles of McCloskey

Not a Pine Knot!
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The Marginal Decade

View from the top of Mammoth Mountain, Ca.

So, I have been talking a lot about Dr. Peter Attia’s book “Outlive”, where he discusses the Marginal Decade. Basically, his position is that if you want to be rolling around the floor with your grandkids after 70 years old, you need to focus on fitness decades before. He goes on to say that if you wait to get healthy after 70, most of the time it is too late, and after 75, guys tend to ” fall off a cliff.” Kind of a sobering commentary from a doc who values exercise and healthy eating above all else. I say it is never too late, but it is harder if you wait too long.

The good news for me is that I always believed in healthy eating and exercise for most of my life. I also value the notion that you have to be moving and active to make it through that marginal decade from 70-80 years old. I am at the early stages of that decade. I always liked the saying,” you don’t stop doing things because you get old, you get old because you stop doing things.”

Take skiing for instance. Every season I think to myself, ” How is this going to go this year?” I feel good but are those turns going to come easy or will I start to struggle a little. Once I am out on the hill, I feel confident, and another ski season commences. Locally, I try to pound every inch out of my runs, and then the next thought is ” How will I do out west at the end of the season?” I know I will be fine with Janet, but will I be able to hang with my friend when we ski Tahoe and Mammoth together? But, like riding a bike, I just click into my bindings and let it rip and those thoughts usually disappear within the first few turns. Now, we are not 30 anymore and we recognize our age. But we can still ski most things and that is because we have paid attention to our exercise and diet. We are making the most out of the marginal decade and the idea to keep moving is paramount. Sure, I wonder how long I will be up for driving at the crack of dawn to my local ski area- Laurel Mountain and be one of the first in the parking lot. Or how long I will be able to schlepp our luggage and 50 pound rolling ski bag through airports. But as long as I can still do it, I will, because I know that if I stop, that will be the end. All that will be left are the memories of good times in the mountains. I will be just talking about it and not doing it. Not something I want in the near term.

Same with riding. I ride a mountain bike all year because I like to be outdoors. I am not a gym guy and no matter what the weather is, I put on my winter garb, ride my winter bike, and brave the cold weather and snow. Because I know if I stop, that will be the end of it and I will age accordingly. I want to maximize the marginal decade.

Also, when I think about this subject, I think about being there for Janet. We have a good life, thank the Lord, and I want to always be active doing things with her. It is important to maximize this decade even though she is not there yet. I married a younger girl. So, I better be active and healthy not only for me, but for her, and for………..us.

So, if you are a younger person, take the time to read “Outlive”. Dr. Peter Attia has a lot to say about preparing for the marginal decade. It all starts decades before. Pay attention to your health, stay active, and you will be able to continue to do what you like to do for a long time. Don’t wait until it is too late. You can do things with me and keep me in the game. LOL!! Ride and ski with the geezer. Thanks for reading and please follow the blog on http://www.chroniclesofmccloskey.com It helps me.

“The human mind plans the way, but the Lord directs the steps.” Proverbs 16:9

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From the Best of Chronicles of McCloskey

Breakfast at the Grange
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Not Even Close

Usually when the Winter Olympics roll around, I get the usual comments from some of my friends who don’t ski. They ask….” Pat, can you ski that fast?” or “Pat- could you ski that downhill course?” I always chuckle because I think to myself,” not even close”. Sure, I can ski most slopes and trails. I have the technique to navigate most things. But people have no clue as to how fast a World Cup downhiller goes. I politely respond that I can ski most things but downhillers ski generally from 60-90 MPH on modern DH courses and that includes women. The men and women are amazingly talented, can ski solidly at high speed, and most people have no conception of just how fast that is.

I had the good fortune to see some World Cup and Can AM (now NOR AM) races, and to view them up close and personal was very enlightening. Take the Hahnenkamm in Austria. It is the Super Bowl of downhill racing. I got to witness the Crazy Canucks up close and personal. Their thighs were like tree trunks, and I said to myself that they could probably play professional football with those legs. Strong guys who took rock hard, marble like, courses at 70- 90 MPH. I saw the up and coming US and Canadian downhillers at Sugarloaf in the Can Am races and Todd Brooker was the star of the show at the time. Before winning the Hahnenkamm, he was a downhill phenom at a young age racing for Canada. He came by me so fast on the Narrow Gauge trail at Sugarloaf that I didn’t even have a chance to see much of his turn. I watched our women train at Mammoth a couple of years ago and was amazed at their strength and speed. You see, really, world class athletes are in a league of their own – thus making them….world class. Their talent is amazing and when someone asks me, especially at my age, if I can ski like that……I just chuckle.

A couple of my friends brag to me that they hit 70 MPH on skis. I laugh out loud and ask them how they know that. They said their wearable watch and I- Phone app tells them by GPS how fast they are going. I tell them that they have no idea how fast 70 MPH is on skis and neither do I, and their apps and watches are incorrect at best. Deceiving at worst. Whenever I hear that from someone I know who skis, I set them straight and tell them my stories. I educate them as to the folly of believing their apps. Because there is no way they are skiing anywhere near that speed.

Bode Miller can probably still reach World Cup speeds but then again…..he is Bode Miller

World Class talent is amazing and when you see it up close, you are amazed. I had the opportunity to ski with Phil Mahre one time and to see him dig trenches in the snow ahead of me with his strong, fast turns, I was amazed. The former World Cup Overall and Olympic champion showed me why he is ……world class.

Phil was funny too. A pleasure to take a few runs with- er ah behind him.
French skier Perrine Pelen smiles as she shows her two Olympic medals, 18 February 1984 in Sarajevo, at the Winter Olympic Games.

One time I saw the famous French slalom star Perrine Pelen race World Cup at Waterville Valley in New Hampshire. As I stood by the side of the women’s slalom course that day, I imagined how I would take a particular combination right in front of me. All of a sudden, Perrine comes down and was through the combination so fast, I didn’t really have a chance to see exactly how she did it. Again, world class talent is in another league even though I have been skiing for a long time. I really could not relate to how good she was, or Phil Mahre for that matter. In another league for sure.

The older I get, the more I respect the talent in events like the Olympics. I always joke that youth is wasted on the young, but in reality, world class athletics is a young person’s game. But it is important for people like us to keep moving and participate in sports that keep us fit and healthy. I love to watch the Olympics and other events where I see the world’s best compete. It inspires me to keep skiing and to constantly work on technique that will make me a better skier- even at my age. And when my non- skiing friends ask me again if I ski fast like the downhillers, I can chuckle and modestly say no way. But in my mind- when I am daydreaming………….maybe I think………………..YES!!!! LOL!! Thanks for reading and please follow the blog on Word Press. http://www.chroniclesofmccloskey.com It helps me.

“Be strong and courageous, do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua- 1:9

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From the Best of Chronicles of McCloskey

Be a little part of History